Learning From Our Offspring

Our youngest son and his wife are preparing to become parents for the first time. Talking with him the other night, I asked him if he and his wife were going to take Lamaze classes. He said that they were, mostly for him because he had no idea what to expect. 

I told him just being there for his wife while she labored would be what she needed most. “Once the kiddo is born,” I added, “you’ll be amazed at how durable they are.” 

Then I asked, “Do you remember how you used to crawl out of your crib and land on the floor with a loud thud? Instead of trying to stop you from this harrowing habit of yours, I simply put padding on the floor so the thud would not be so loud.”

“How did I get back into the crib?” 

“I honestly don’t remember. Maybe I put you back at first, then one of your older brothers took on the task.”

We had a good laugh and recalling the memory, reminded me how much my kids taught me even as kids. 

I was tied up in a tight knot when our first born came along. My physician recommended that I drink a short glass of beer while nursing so I could relax. 

It didn’t take long for me to learn that nursing was a time for me to enjoy sitting and taking in the fine features of my infant. The downy hair, the perspiration that accumulated on his upper lip, and the blue eyes that stared into mine. I surmised that nursing was the greatest opportunity afforded to a mother to hold her child’s attention with love. 

As toddlers, my sons taught me how to listen to their interpretation of the world. For instance, bubbles in a glass of 7-Up were not bubbles. It was raining in their glass. Windshield wipers across the glass had a beat to a familiar song. 

Those elementary school years tapped into my patience as I realized the academics they were learning for the first time were things I’d known for a long time. My protective instincts kept me vigilant to who they named as friends. 

Their teen years taught me to smile at their individual choices. One played soccer, one swam competitively and one chose to snowboard. Those years weaned me from holding them too tightly and letting them be independent. 

Why Bother?

Why bother learning from our offspring?  Soon there will be a new small teacher in the family, showing our son things about himself he doesn’t yet know. I bothered to learn from mine. I’m sure he’ll learn from his offspring as well. I can’t wait to watch.